Out of Oblivion
by Requiem for a Writer
Summary: Unbeknownst to many, there was a third child born from the Sage of the Six Paths, before the other two - a girl. The daughter inherited a portion of the powers given to each of the subsequent sons. The primary powers that the daughter inherited from the Sage were superior and emotional intelligence. How will this effect the future of the Shiniobi generations.
1. Prologue

Requiem for a Writer: It's about dang time I posted this. I will have you know - I am quite lazy and could be mistaken for Shikamaru, if I had my hair tied up. Not joking. Underlying in laziness, I procrastinate ALOT. I will, however, try to update chapters regularly on weekends... when I eventually get out of bed... at some point... in the afternoon. Please leave reviews and what you thought of the chapter. If you have any questions or suggestions, PM me till your hearts content, or just leave a review asking questions or suggestions.

* * *

The Sage of the Six Paths was the legendary figure who founded the art of ninjutsu and created the ninja world. He was a monk living centuries ago, during a time of eternal conflict. The Sage discovered chakra - the energy that dwells in us all and the power contained in every cell in every organism - through his own personal journey and struggles though life. With this new discovery and ability, he desired to lead the world toward peace and harmony. The ambitious monk journeyed to lands upon lands, spreading his message to those who would listen.

At some later time, a great terror fell over the land - a demon known as The Ten Tails - who wreaked havoc and spread chaos across the land. To prevent complete destruction of the land, the Sage entrapped the demon within himself to contain the embodiment of evil. Knowing that the demon would be released upon his death, the Sage diminished its' evil power by dividing it into nine separate but significantly weaker demons, which would then be contained within selected individuals for generations.

The primary goal of the Sage was to establish peace across the world. In addition to dispersing The Ten Tails' power, the Sage remained invested in cooperation and harmony. The Sage entrusted his sons with his powers, beliefs and legacy. The older son, who inherited the Sage's intense chakra and spiritual energy, believed that power was the true key to peace. The younger son, who inherited the Sage's powerful will and physical energy, believed that love was the true key to peace. Unbeknownst to many, there was a third child born, before the other two - a girl. The daughter inherited a portion of the powers given to each of the subsequent sons. The primary powers that the daughter inherited from the Sage were superior and emotional intelligence.

The Sage gave his daughter these powers in hopes that she would choose the most wise and logical path toward world peace. However, his daughter could not find the path because she did not believe that the goal of complete peace was possible, even though she tried many times. The Sage decided, therefore, that his daughter could not carry out his will, so he then divided his physical energy and spiritual energy into two separate sons. The Sage also realized that his daughter could not carry out his will anyway because the laws at that time forbade females from having any power. His advisors had even ordered the daughter be put to death in order to clear the way for his sons.

The Sage was kind and loving and did not want his daughter to be killed, so he hid her away with the household servants. The Sage, however, kept a close relationship with his daughter and taught her everything he knew. The Sage chose his younger, kinder son to be his successor, though he knew that the older son would become envious and bitter towards the younger one. The Sage's wish was that his daughter would keep them close and connected in a positive way, using her superior and emotional intelligence, even though she didn't believe in complete peace. The daughter's existence remained a secret to almost all, until her father was on his deathbed and shared this truth with his sons, and then chose his younger son to be his successor.

As the Sage expected, the older son was overwhelmed with jealousy. What the Sage had not anticipated, however, was that the older son would physically attack his younger brother. Even though his sons respected the daughter and knew that she was intelligent and wise, they disregarded her pleas for peace and an all-out war began between the two that continued on as a family feud for generations. These descendants - the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan – carried on bitter rivalry for years. The daughter's pledge for brotherly love carried on through her descendants, too: The Kazumi Clan.

The two brothers decedents had an undisputed rivalry between each other. The leader of the Kazumi clan at the time, Tomoko (whose clan was caught in the middle of this rivalry considering they were too one of the powerful clans), was fed up with the rivalry and conflict the Senju clan and Uchia clan had. And so, pleaded the Senju clan leader, Hashirama Senju to cease the blood shed and carnage. Hashirama, who had a dream of peace and a great love for his fellow men, proposed a truce to the Uchiha clan, which they readily accepted.

Some time after the alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha was signed, the land of fire hired them to stabilize its borders, and the clans created a permanent settlement within the country. Thus, Konohagakure was founded, and, with it, the system of one Hidden Village per country.

Once Konohagakure was near completion, the Senju invited the Kazumi clan to join their settlement. Tomoko, fearing that if three of the most powerful clans were to work together conflict and war were sure to follow, denied the offer but suggested one. A secret, significantly smaller hidden village to be created and have an alliance with the Senju clan. Tomoko knew of the consequences and that it was not allowed but thought of it the most logical solution to remain on the senju clans good side. The Senju clan didn't exactly like the idea but agreed anyway seeing Tomoko's reasoning.

And so, this is a story of this clan and how the consequences could be disastrous.


	2. Chapter 1

Requiem for a Writer: Hello again! School has been brutal and I have had little time to write, but I finally found my inner Yami and. . . here he is! He will come back when school calms down and life gets easier. If you have any comments on how this chapter could be improved, please don't hold back! I want to hear what you have to say. sayonara!

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

The shimmering violet wings maneuvered sublimely through the dense thicket, reflecting the vivid moonlight like diamonds, dancing around the thick jade leaves. The contrast was striking. Numerous tangled trees stretched across the land, their long branches covering the earth with intricate shadowy patchworks. The wings kept fluttering, ignorant of their surroundings. "_No, don't go_" the boy implored to himself. "_But yes… It is there, waiting, waiting for you to come! No, don't go..." _The wings dipped and arched, almost mocking the boy's wise advice. "_It's closer, indeed quite closer… patiently waiting. Foolish thing, you're not going to make it…_" It disregarded the boy and landed delicately on the blossom, silently laughing at him for such paranoia. "_Is this true_? _Yes… It's retreating back into its dark abyss, waiting, patiently."_ The quiet forest rustled with the wind, surprised by its fate… or… no, not surprised but… waiting. "_It's still there! Yes, more prevalent than ever! Leave, before you're taken! Don't let it grasp you. Don't die." _The rustling of the wind increased, and soon a sudden gust appeared, propelling the bewildered wings into the next domain. The wind was too much for it and had damaged one of its wings, leaving it precariously drifting into the darkness. "_Please stop… The agony; I cannot witness it. But yes, it will all be over, as everything will, eventually..._"

The blind trust of the wings led it into fate's monotone hands, only to have its wings plucked off, defenseless and humiliated. It struggled in death's intricate design, not anticipating this end. The darkness seeped out of its lair, slinking down the ensnaring staircase. The wings give a shudder, and then froze, as the darkness engulfed it in an obscure cloak. "_Hope,_" the boy thought deeply to himself, "_Why must hope be within people, till the end, hovering next to us with a cheeky smile; why must we have it? It only causes disappointment and pain…_" I pondered this as I rested against the trunk of an ancient tree. I wasn't a gloomy person - no, not at all - but I did brood on what others would consider depressing and… peculiar. The gust began to die, and there resumed a peaceful breeze, ruffling my hair. I breathed in deeply and looked up at the sky, just now noticing how dark it was. My eyes widened as I realized how long I'd spent in the forest. "I suppose I should get going," I mused to myself as I stretched up, popping a bone. I bent my neck side-to-side, resulting in a large crack that echoed throughout the quiet forest. I exhaled a long breath, and then began to stride on back to the village.

It is a relatively pleasant Hidden Village, shrouded in greenery and the absence of hostility with anyone - of course that was due to the fact that no one _knew_ about our village (besides the Village Hidden in the Leaves). Long ago, when the Uchiha and Senju clan were creating Konohagakure, Hashirama Senju suggested that the Kazumi clan join their new founding village (seeing as though they had close ties). The leader of the Kazumi clan, Tomoko Kazumi, declined, however, stating that other clans would grow envious and angry with Konohagakure for possessing the three strongest clans. As a result, they would probably declare war and try to bring about their downfall. Tomoko suggested, instead, that they stage their clan's death so that they could construct a smaller hidden village and become allies with Konohagakure and assist them when they needed it. Hashirama Senju didn't understand this logic, though, as they could just stage their death and join Konohagakure. He did not argue over it, however, and accepted the offering. And so, the Kazumi clan has been prospering greatly over the years, not having any conflict whatsoever with other clans.

I pushed onward up the hill, beginning to feel the first drops of rain. Before long, though, it began to drizzle harder. "Great, just great," I mumbled to myself, as my clothes became drenched in the clammy rain. I decided to power through and sprinted to the top of the hill to admire my village. I stood there atop the hill in calm silence, not even breathing, to fully experience the view of my surroundings. Though it was hard to see it clearly through the drizzling rain, the impending view was stupendous. I breathed in the moist air deeply, then let out a slow sigh, and continued on toward home. "Better hurry up or else I'll be late," I warned myself. The surrounding trees, with their intertwined fingers, seemed to melt into each other to form a dark tunnel leading me home, or some place else. _"What's this?"_ I thought to myself. I felt the presence of another person… or, no, wait… persons, about three, to be exact, tailing me. _"Who are these people? Would Mother and Father go to such measures to send a search party for me… no, that was not likely. I've spent my time out late many an evening, surely they did not think this time would be different… why would it be? They've not sent people the other times I've done this, so why would they send some now? The solution: They didn't, there is no motive or point to." _I continued to go on casually as to not let my pursers know that I was aware of them. _"They're a great deal behind, about 20 meters, but they keep increasing their chase of me, steadily faster by the second. Since my parents didn't send a search party, then who did? The solution: No one did. The moment they'd have found me they would have confronted me and escorted me home. These people, however, were doing the opposite. And though it's hard, since I cannot see them, I can hear their feet furiously jumping on the trees behind me."_

I narrowed my eyes and carefully, gently reached for a row of senbons from the shruriken holster. Though they might not be incredible in terms of power, they can be thrown with precise accuracy and are very hard to see. Due to the rain, it would even be harder to identify them. _"These people have murderous intent. These are not allies, or at least not anymore. Perhaps they are __fugitives… no. I heighten my senses and can hear a faint clang of metal against metal. A chain. No chain-like weapons were made in The Land of Silence, and therefore no one owned them. The solution: These people were not from this village."_ My pursuers were catching up to me promptly. _"How and why, though, are there outsiders here? There was a war going on, but The Land Hidden in Silence has never involved itself in the war and is known by no one. How then do they-"_ my thoughts were abruptly interrupted as I heard behind me a thin, air-piercing sound of something heading toward me. It seemed to be whizzing. "_Shurikun." _I anticipated the attack and parried the shurikun with my senbons and handsprung onto a branch.

I glanced backward just in time to catch a glimpse of my pursuers. They wore a red outfit with (for some reason) one sleeve on the left arm only and a flack jacket. Their headbands had the insignia of the Hidden Stone Village. They all appeared to be the level of a normal Chunin. I was not nearly a match for them, for I was a mere Genin. _"Due to my dark clothing, I may be able to hide and blend in with the night if I can get out of their line of vision… On second thought, I definitely shouldn't hide. There are unquestionably more of them. A Hidden Village would not be naïve enough to send such a small party. True, I should try and escape them, but I must head for the village immediately after. I probably encountered them accidently while they were beginning to invade. Their comrades are probably hiding in the shadows for a signal of some kind. I must warn someone. _I leapt backwards onto another branch and performed the required hand seals. "Scattering Thousand Crows ninjutsu!" Black feathers began to befall on the enemy. While the feathers surprised them, countless crows came out of the shadows and harassed the enemies. I moved my fingertips in a circular motion as to have the crows flock around them. _"Since the crows continuously clone themselves, the Hidden Stone will become completely surrounded by them, obscuring their vision while I escape." _I turned my back on them and then dashed away into the night.

I finally reached my village's entryway. It usually has a welcoming presence to it, but now, all I sensed was an eerie and ominous aura. The guards were off duty. _"It is very late in the day. It's around this time they all go home." _I sprinted past the entry into dismal surroundings. With the pouring rain, the desolate and dark scene, and an impending invasion, I was not in the best of moods. Evidently, my grandmother was one of the Ten Great Shinobi of our land, so all I needed to do was go home and report to her what I had confronted. I dashed along the cold, wet path, as my vision worsened in the gloomy rain. Suddenly, explosions erupted around me and I was flung off my feet onto the hard ground. I picked myself up painfully and looked behind to see a burning store. I leapt onto the top of a nearby building and beheld an unforgettable horror. My village was aflame. Explosions were occurring continuously and buildings were collapsing like crushed cartons. And in the midst of it all: a tailed beast jinchuriki, the Five Tails, to be precise. And at the root of it all: The Stone Ninja. My fellow Shinobi poured out of their homes and scrambled all over our village into ceaseless chaos. I stood there, transfixed by what was happening. The once peaceful village that I knew too well was now splattered with destruction. I shook my head out of confusion and stood in horror as the Five Tails Jinchuriki began to form the tailed beast ball, the ultimate technique of a tailed beast. It was facing my way. I leapt off the building and sprinted directly to the left, but to no avail. The Jinchuriki didn't compress the ball, and, as a result, launched a horrific explosion my way. The tremendous amount of energy shot behind me with a defining sound. I clutched my ears so tightly that I believe they bled from my finger nails piercing my skin. I then fell to the ground, crouching until it ended. That is when I lost all sense of direction. I opened my eyes and tried to see where I was going and was blinded by a burning white light. It was so powerful. I let go of my ears and clutched my eyes, which were burning and had steam coming from them. The pain was unbearable. It was like having a million little nails being scraped against your raw flesh.

The wave began to subside but the ringing and pain continued. And my vision was impaired. I tried to arise but just fell again. I crawled on the ground, not sure if I was going right or left, or even backwards or forwards, for that matter. I paused and breathed in deeply, trying to calm down and get my bearings. I began to get my hearing back and caught a sound I won't soon forget: the breaking of timber. I leapt to the side just in time as a building support came crashing down, this close to me! I finally pulled myself together and arose, coughing from the fire. I tenderly opened my eyes. Everything was blurred and hazy. All of my surroundings seemed to be ghostly and mixed together with one another. Even though it was a challenge to see, I still decided to perform my duties as a Genin and help citizens.

I jumped from building to building, scouring high and low, seeing if there was anyone inside. There was, but none that were still alive. _"Since all these people are dead… what of my parents…" _They were not Shinobi and could not protect themselves if attacked by one. I ran with anxiety consuming my once calm mind. I took a sharp left and continued onward as the fire spread worse and worse. Fellow Shinobi lay upon the pavement, their eyes empty carcasses. I continued to hear the Five Tails Jinchuriki rampaging through the village, and sensed more and more lives being lost. _"I'm almost there," _I told myself. _"My house is just at the edge of the village." _My vision worsened with each step I took, causing me question if I was going the correct way. But as I drew nearer to an intersection, I was positive: it was my house. It was beginning to catch aflame and some of it was starting to crumble. _"You can make it! They'll be fine!"_

I leapt into the air and crashed through my window. I immediately stood up, my eyes wide in terror, wondering if they were still alive. "Mother! Father! Anyone?" I heard faint coughing coming from another room. I dashed over there to behold two people huddled together. My parents. I embraced them immediately. "Yami…" my mother echoed. She sounded so tired, so weak. "Yes, it's me!" I replied, hugging them even more now. "Let's get you out of here!" Just as I began to help my parents up, I heard a footfall behind me. I spun around to see a stone Shinobi bellow "Puppet possession no jutsu!" Chakra threads manifested out of the Shinobi's hands and rooted themselves in my body. I suddenly felt nothing: Like nothing belonged to be. I couldn't hear or smell. I still could still sense touch and see, though. I saw the Stone ninja moving his fingers that (apparently) controlled my body.

My head turned around and I saw the faces of my parents, confused and scared. My mother appeared to say my name, questioning what I was doing. I tried to reply, so hard I tried, but I couldn't move my mouth. I then let go of my parents and they retreated a few paces away from me. My father seemed to be asking me what I was doing. I was wondering that, too. I then felt the texture of cloth and metal inside my hands. It felt like a pair of kunai. They were kunai. My hands, now holding the kunai, reached in front of me, targeted toward my parents. _"No…no stop!" _I pleaded to my self. I then got closer and closer to my parents, as they, too, backed away from me, until they hit a wall. They were quivering with horror, bewilderment written on their faces. _"Run! Get out of here! You're going to die!" _But they did not hear my warning, since it was never said. My mother said my name in question. My hands came down. They struck both my mother and father at the same time, in the same area: their jugular. They both screamed in agony as blood gushed out onto the floor, the walls, and my hands. It was not over, though. My hands repeatedly slashed at them, over and over, my parents becoming more and more formless, and my hands becoming more and more coated in gore.

My mind went blank. I couldn't think. I was in a state of sickening shock. All I did was witness what was happening. My eyes began to dim. Was it from this jutsu? Was it the result of the Jinchuriki's explosion? Or was it self-volition? I do not know. The last thing I saw, as the light in my eyes dimmed, was my mother looking at me. They stare she gave me I could not read. I believe, though, it was of one who has been betrayed. Then there was darkness. I fell to the floor, slowly getting my senses back - the stench of blood; the aches in my bones from the repetitive swipes; and the tears streaming down my face. I just laid there. Not caring if I lived or died. Not knowing if I even was alive. I began to blackout but heard the slash of sword against skin and another body fall to the ground, and then I was being carried, carried for a long time. And then total darkness.


	3. Chapter 2

Hello again

It's been awhile hasn't it? Now excuses are just excuses, so I won't go and list all the reasons why I wasn't able to update sooner; that would just be pointless (I will let you know though that there were numerous factors in my long term inactivity, A.K.A. middle school). In my attempts to recover that period of time, I'll post two chapters today. They're not as long in density as my first two, but again, I'm just trying to get my priorities in order. Anyway, in future advance; do not expect an update weekly. Seriously, it's not going to happen. But beside the point, and to the main purpose your on this page, read on!

* * *

To your left,

Perhaps you're right,

Perhaps even straight ahead,

You can find fear

It is vile

It is hungry

It is vermin

It is omniscient

Are you frightened by this?

I urge you, do not be afraid

Do not look away

Do not gasp

For then

fear would have you

fear would have won

_fear has won_

Usually, during a dream, there never really seems to be a beginning, or even an end in some cases; often just starts, in the middle of somewhere, someplace. That's what was happening now, or then, or soon; whenever I realize this dark terror unfolding its vivacious arms. I seemed to be caught in an ominous, shadowy vortex, like a hurricane. Not only that, I was also in a box of some sort, made completely out of windows. It moved around wildly in the vortex, as I toppled and banged about in the box. My vision; became unclear and blurred by the violent thrashing. I got my bearings back, even though the box continued to jerk about with rage. I tried to push open the glass, only to confront my reflection, troubled. I continuously pushed on the mirrored walls, harder and harder until I to stop and breathe, stuck somewhere between furious and annoyed at my entrapment. I then violently punched at one of the glass walls with full force. At first, nothing happened. But then, a small crack was born. It started from the center and worked its way to the edges. Then more lines formed, and each one grew, slowly. Painfully. The box then stopped moving around wildly, and froze, having me land with a thud. The vortex seemed to freeze, or at least slow down, in anticipation of what was to come; a final moment. With a final loud crack, the glass box shattered. I fell through.

The vortex then started again, more violently than ever. My arms flailed out wildly, trying to find something to grasp; but to no prevail. My body managed to receive a brutal scraping from the shards of glass of the box. The blood poured out like saliva, slowly. Painfully. It was like a distant pain, like a pain from shock; you know you are experiencing it, but do not really understand it. The blood splattered around in the vortex, having it convert to a fiendish red. I peered straight down to where the vortex seemed to start, but there was only blackness; it was coming closer. I then detached and stepped outside of my body, violently pulled out one could say, able to see myself falling, desolate and impractical. I then pulled together as one right before landing on the black ground. However, it wasn't a hard surface; it was a hole. It felt like I was in water.

I plummeted through the hole and my surroundings become blacker, but then I saw a white area in front of me, and fell through that, too. I continuously fell through a narrow tube, lined in a transitioning pattern of black and white. I fell faster and faster until everything was a blur. While falling, I felt a tug; a snatch, causing me to turn around and flip backward in my decent. Numerous murky hands emerged from the black outlines of this endless hole, pursuing me, hunting me. I tried to veer away, hoping that they wouldn't snatch me. All of the sudden, complete blackness enclosed me. I saw behind me that the pattern stopped, and so, too, the hands. It was as if an invisible barrier had stopped them from following me, to right where I entered the now complete blackness. The hole was now obscured, leaving me enclosed in complete darkness. I continued to fall for a little while longer until the world seemed to flip upside down, and I landed on a cold, moist surface.

I saw nothing- only darkness. I stood up looking around, expecting to fall again; no such thing happened. However, a giant eyeball materialized above me- huge, grotesque, starring down at me. It didn't blink, didn't look or wander around, it just stared at me. And I stared back. I could not interpret the eyeball's stare. I believed, though, it was vengeful. A familiar look, it was. I clutched my head as a terrifying ringing began, knocking me to the ground. I screamed, a silent scream; nothing coming out. An eerie silence it all was. My head was flooded with images of things- the burning village, the Jinchuriki, my mother's eyes – oh, her eyes. The images and the ringing finally stopped, and I looked back up at the eyeball. It had been staring down at me for a while now, and it began to dry up, very quickly. It started to go berserk and look wildly around, as if a means of escape. But you cannot escape fear- It is omniscient. The ocular veins seemed to implode from lack of moisture, causing the eye to sear from within. The eyeball then began to peel. The once-white pupil, now contaminated with blood, began to break apart, pieces drifting down to me like snowflakes. And what lay behind there was a black ooze, revealed behind the pupil. It poured from the eye very slowly. Painfully. The rest of the area around me began to as well liquefy, like a melting candle. The blackness was further enclosing me, entrapping me in black slime. It was up to my neck in what felt like seconds. I tried to breathe, but air could not reach my lungs. The black liquid enclosed around my face, and then eradicated my sight. And then then darkness, once again. Painfully.

* * *

My inspiration for that whole demonic eye scene was the days when I forgot to take out my contax when I went to go to sleep. Yeah... I wouldn't really label those moments as "comfortable". Good times, good times...


	4. Chapter 3

His eyes did not spring open the second the chance was given. They did not flutter; flicker, or even flitter, and those are just the F's. No, his eyes peeled each other apart- from the cold, hardened sweat that stuck them together. Something was wrong though. His eyes would not open, or at least that is what he thought. They felt open, yes indeed, but he could not see anything, clearly as if his eyes were still closed. He only could detect patches of blurred oranges and rosy reds of light, as if his eyelids were closed. That quickly faded however, for the color seemed to be sucked out and be reduced to total blackness. It was now as if his eyes where covered. As he pondered this predicament, the feeling of his body began to return. Did he then realize that someone was holding him, enclosing him? The presence around him was familiar, welcoming. It shifted, and appeared to rise, inadvertently dropping Yami. He felt himself plummet down a hill, seeing nothing, fearful of falling farther down. The hill soon became level and calmed down. Yami eventually stopped tumbling, lying dizzily on the alien ground. "Good morning Yami." It was a familiar voice of comfort that brought feeling back to his hollow soul. He smiled. He remembered how to smile.

"Obaa-san!" Yami echoed.

Yami's famous grandmother, Amaya Obscuri, stood like a grave on the hill, forlorn and heart-stricken. She was one of the 10 great Shinobi of their village, and, ranking of number eight was of a very honorable position. She was an incredibly skilled shinobi, to say the least, and could take on a horde of Shinobi provoked. Only one shinobi would leave the Warfield, unscathed. However, that did not happen this time. The attack by the Hidden Stone on their village was too great, not to mention the added force of the Jinchuriki. With their village burning; carcasses smoldering on the ground, one thing could be bluntly stated: They had lost.  
Yami's grandmother stood there, with a look of contempt engraved on her stoned face. She leapt down to where Yami lay, as he looked around wildly as to see where she was.

"Yami…"

His head immediately shifted forward to her direction, his full-fledged attention directed at her. "There's something I need to tell you…"

Yami's grandmother relayed what had happened when Yami blacked out. That day, she was traveling around the whole village trying to find survivors and, coincidentally, was in his vicinity. She sensed him before she even saw him. She found his body inside her daughter's house, under a smoldering plank of wood. The building was close to collapsing. She quickly pulled him from the crumbling structure, saving his life. And not a moment too soon, for the building completely collapsed with a fierce, fiery ending, leaving a wicked smile amongst the ashes. The Jinchuriki was still prowling the village at that time, looking for more lives to take. The Stone Ninja were obliterating everything. There was no time for second thoughts: she had to get Yami out of there.

They left the village in a rush, Yami's heart rate slowly plummeting. _"We cannot just run: this a time for hiding."_ Amaya came upon a mountain just outside the village walls. She thought for a moment and it came to her: _"Yes, I will use that jutsu." _She found a crampt space that could barely fit two people. Perfect. She then laid Yami on the rough ground, transfixed on him with worry. She then laid beside him, embracing him tightly. Amaya performed the required the specific hand seals and muttered, "Space-Time Halt Ninjutsu!" A camouflaging curtain covered the two of them so it appeared as if no one was there. Space-Time Halt Ninjutsu froze the caster and anyone they're holding in time and space, for a certain period of time. Yami's grandmother set it to about 7 years in the future. She figured that's when the war would end. And so, it is now seven years later. They awoke, bewildered as to what was going on.

Yami had a distant stare. He appeared to be looking at his grandmother, but really, he saw nothing. Even if he could see, he wouldn't really be looking at her then. Amaya stood there somewhat robust, but sad. A light breeze began, blowing her ambivalence away. "Is it wrong that I'm not crying?" Yami questioned. His grandmother was rather stunned by this, but replied, "No. It's just that you now have a heart of stone. It is hard to penetrate those. You're not a bad person for it. It could be considered actually quite useful for a Shinobi once you think about it." Yami remained quiet for quite some time, shifting his gaze to the sky rather than his grandmother, least that's what he thought he was facing. He saw nothing but blackness. But there appeared to be small moving things. Like tiny snakes. He knew they were veins or some sort of eye function. Still, It seemed like there was something else, he just couldn't see it. _"The darkness… it's quite disturbing…"_

Yami inquired, almost rhetorically, "So, then, what do we do now?"

"We should make a shelter and scavenge for some food…"

"How do you feel about all this, Obaa-san?

"Baffled I suppose."

"Yeah, that sounds right."

They felt so disoriented and lost. Yami didn't want to do anything right now; he just wanted to continue to stare at the blackness. He thought it best to mention this to his grandmother, though, suddenly not being able to see was something to be worried about.

"I can't see."

"I'm sorry what?" Yami's grandmother said

"I can't see anything. All I see is blackness. I am blind I guess"

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I think I can tell whether I can see or not Obaa-san..."

Amaya couldn't take much more pulling of the heartstrings. To realize that her grandson was blind was… devastating. However, there maybe was a way to partially restore his vision. _"I don't even know, though, if he has the Xyrenus. Not everyone has that dojutsu. It is worth a try, however…"_She then walked over to Yami, who was still staring at the sky, seeing nothing.

"Yami there is something I'd like to try."

"Oh, what?"

"I want to see if you possess a dojutsu. You know what those are, don't you?"

"Of course. How are you going to do this?"

"Follow me. We will need to find a dark place."

After searching a short while, Amaya discovered a dark, small cave entryway in the mountain they had slept in. They entered into a cold, moist, dark cave, probably infested with who knows what._ "Perfect."_ Once they got deep into the cave where there was minimal light, she then placed her arm in front of Yami to tell him to stop moving. She then formed the required seals and performed the jutsu. "Dark Plasma"! Dark, tentacle-like arms shot out of the ground, forming a wall like structure, covering the light. It was completely dark now. "Xyrenus!" Yami's grandmother now possessed the dojutsu's ability's. She could see in the dark completely, clear as day. She was slightly jealous of her grandson however. Being blind was seen as a gift, for it stopped people seeing with their eyes, but instead saw with their other senses, their mind; their heart. Their village resolved around darkness, and blending with it.

"Do you know how you became blind?" she asked.

"No, not exactly. Perhaps it was because of the Jinchuriki; it was bright…"

"Yes, I suppose that triggered it. Fortunately, your blindness actually makes this process easier and will probably intensify its abilities," she explained. This was, indeed, a lie. They both knew the cause whether they would admit or not. Yami could not see due to psychological trauma. He could not bear the sight of his parents; their deaths by his own hands. If he could see again, and saw his hands, red would be all he would see.

"Hm. So what happens now?"

"Nothing." Yami's grandmother then vanished in the darkness, leaving him alone.

"Obaa-san?"

There was no response.

Yami was slightly concerned, but he then heard her respond in a way that seemed as if her voice was everywhere, nowhere. "In order to know if you have the Xyrenus, we will have to perform a test to activate it."

"What's the test?"

"A test of fear. The Xyrenus main ability is inducing fear and becoming one with darkness. Therefore, you will need to become fear, fearlessness, and you will need to become the darkness. You will eventually be able to see within it and sense movements, regardless of the black space. I will come at you, and you must deflect or avoid. Your heartbeat is your weakness. This is a lot to put on you now, dear Yami, but it will let you see again."

Yami feigned confidence and replied, "I'm ready."

It became deathly silent in the cave, not even his own breath made a sound; only his heartbeat. _"Your heartbeat is your weakness…"_

His heartbeat. That's how she'll detect him (course she could also see in the dark, but yes, she also sensed his heartbeat).

Yami got into a readying stance, prepared for an attack- to his left, perhaps his right, perhaps even straight ahead, she would strike. _"Here it comes."_ He dodged just in time as a senbon came whizzing by his head. _"I'll have to rely on my sense of hearing to detect them, though senbons are generally hard to detect due to their low density and small size. This is quite the test." _Two more came by, one snaring a hair. His heart was beating faster, this time 4 came, one landing a slight cut in his arm._ "I have to calm down. My heart rate is my enemy right now, and I can't let it win." _Yami then breathed in deeply and let out a long breath. No sooner did he do this than 5 more senbons came, this time two cutting his skin. _"Dammit. This isn't working! No… Don't get aggravated. The point is to stay calm and focused during these situations, not to become more reckless."_

Yami calmed his breathing, and slowed his heart rate. More and more senbons came, now close to nine. He was dodging them effectively, only having them touch him from time to time. However it was becoming harder, for the sound of the senbons' whizzing was becoming increasingly faint, only being heard at the last moment, barely. Yami remained calm and deflected them suitably, and dodging precisely. He also used his surroundings to dodge them- jumping behind boulders, bounding off walls. By tens they came, and then twelve's, suddenly twenties, but he dodged, deflected, and flickered by them, soon avoiding all grazes and scratches. Suddenly however, they stopped their rounds, leaving Yami panting, curious. _"They stopped…"_

Oh how he was wrong

Amaya had to admit that her grandson was quite the prodigy and an excellent student, which she already knew. However, now was the real test. She just hoped he wouldn't get too badly hurt.

A senbon grazed Yami's side, causing him to flinch with surprise, and a hint of fear. That putrid word again, fear. It would be there, forever and always. _"I didn't hear anything."_ Yami summer salted to the side, staring into the darkness, with subtle content. Two more came this time, both grazing him. He cringed. _"She's repeating the same pattern; one, then two, five, seven, ten, and so on. I can't hear them this time, though which means I will just have to sense them, however that's done."_ Five came then, missing only because of his coincidental dodge. He stood there then, looking around, as if for an answer. Then seven senbons came, and, this time, they struck. He pulled the senbons out of his flesh, dripping with blood. He flung them on the ground, and got in his readying stance again. He was persistent. The same routine went on again and again, with Yami getting hit, and then throwing the bloody senbons upon the ground. How long had he been in there? Hours? Days? By the tenth round, he fell to the floor on his back, the dried blood on his body cracking. Yami breathed heavily. He looked up at the ceiling of the cave, only seeing darkness. _"On second thought, maybe being blind is not so bad…"_

No, he knew this had to be accomplished, or else he would be finished. He arose this time, dark rings around his eyes, burdened and isolated. The rounds came again, except this time he didn't move, didn't try to avoid them- he just stood there, embracing the pain. Yami had a glazed look of emptiness on his face. So much had happened recently. He felt the cold blood trickle down from his head, over the eyes, and his cracked lips. The blood tasted bitter. His knees buckled, and he slumped to the ground in a backwards squat position, looking upward. _"The darkness… it's all embracing…"_ A round of 20 senbons of the repeated pattern came. And they struck: all but one. The lone senbon was clutched savagely in Yami's outstretched arm.

He had not deflected it or blocked it

He had reached for it.

He sensed it.

His fear was gone.

Yami arose slowly, painfully, with his head down, almost as if possessed. He then jolted into his readying stance with strength of mind written on his face. They came, this time three being deflected to the ground. Five were flung; five were deflected. Seven were flung; seven were dodged. He could sense them. It was hard to explain really how he did it; was just an impulse almost, like an inadvertent reaction. His brain just said _"there"_ and they missed him. It was as though he and the senbons were interacting, communicating with each other. Reaching for each other

"Now use it!" The teacher belted.

His grandmother came out of the darkness, with a look of finality upon her face.

"Xyrenus!"


End file.
